THE CLOCK CHIMED on the seventh hour of Wednesday morning. Birds hummed their calls outside the balcony perch, basking in the warmth of the same sun that flickered beautifully through the translucent curtains of a modest AirBnB situated in the very centre of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Home to a beautiful waterfront promenade, golden beaches, and evergreen hills, Wellington is the perfect example of an Elysian city.

Mason slept soundly underneath the comfort of her warm duvet in a queen sized bed, unperturbed by the sound of her partner sauntering around the room in a grey oversized sweater, pink sloth socks, and her hair down in loose curls that perfectly framed her face.

"Mason." Riley stood watchfully by the foot of the bed with her favourite plush toy in the safety of her own embrace. "It's time to get up."

Her partner unconsciously nodded and turned over under the blanket, exhibiting no sign of wanting to get out of bed anytime soon.

"Baby," Riley needled. " You'll be late for work, and may I remind you of the fact that you're pretty much in charge. You're the boss. I won't let you slack off just because you're dozing seemingly well in this beautiful country."

"Mm." Mason hummed. "You're beautiful."

Riley's cheeks flamed red within seconds of her fiancée's unwarranted compliment. "Oh. Well..." she carefully placed her teddy onto the bed and crossed her arms. "You're distracting me. Seriously, it's time to get up." she huffed.

The jarring sound of Mason's alarm blared through the room for a brief moment before Riley had noticed the small subtle movements under the duvet. "Only if you call me by my name," Mason answered rather sluggishly.

"That is your name."

"No, it's not." Mason sat herself up and smiled at the sight of her soon to be bride. "It's Maisie. It always has been. Especially for you. When you call me Mason I fear for my life. You only call me that when you're mad at me." she said.

"Maybe I am mad at you." Riley replied, trying hard to hide the grin that was slowly forming on her lips. "Come on. You need to get dressed."

The latter outstretched her arms and took in the scent of Riley's perfume, mixed with the subtle scent of the breakfast she was preparing in the kitchen. "I've been awake this whole time," Mason declared. "You must've missed the part where I close my eyes for five minutes to meditate quietly before getting out of bed!"

"Sure you have," Riley could no longer hide her smile. It was a rather difficult feat to suppress such a smile in the presence of her significant other. "Now get up and go. Your train leaves in an hour and you barely have a toe out of bed. Don't make me crawl back into bed."

A devilish grin formed on Mason's lips in a moment no less. "Don't make it seem like I'm forcing you," she chuckled. "I know you can't resist. Come," Mason reached for the duvet and gestured for her partner to join her back in bed.

"If you lay in bed for a minute longer I'll take that this business trip of yours was some ploy to laze around the house all day." Riley stood firm at the foot of their queen sized bed, arms crossed with the idea of slipping back into bed with Mason clouding the back of her mind.

It wasn't a terrible idea. In fact, Mason was right. She couldn't resist the temptation of slipping back into bed with her. "You need to move or I'll drag you out of bed myself. This isn't a joke, Mason. What's gotten into you?"

"I should ask you that myself," Mason suggested. "Given the fact that you're currently crawling back into bed. Five more minutes. We can cuddle and I can have five more minutes..."

Riley found herself in Mason's embrace. The latter felt warm and smelt of delicate peonies, one of many things about Mason that Riley loved. She smelt of home, no matter where they were. "I suppose five minutes won't hurt," she smiled before tracing her jaw and kissing it softly. "Then you must go and get ready."

Mason pressed a soft kiss on Riley's shoulder. "Mm. Five minutes. I just wanna be with you a little longer," she smiled. "I can't resist you."

"Neither," Riley replied. "Though I wouldn't put it past you given how clingy you are..."

"Clingy? I'm not clingy."

Riley slapped her fiancée in a gentle yet playful manner. "You are so clingy. Don't deny it."

"I'm not denying anything," the latter chuckled.

"Give me one good example where I was clingy. Because I can assure you that—"

"Right now. Little Miss five minutes more."

"Hey," Mason smiled. "This doesn't count."

"No, it absolutely does! You asked me to join you, in this comfy bed of ours, an hour before you're expected to frolic into work and you want to tell me that this doesn't count as clingy? Dare I say that I have many more of those..."

Mason continued to trail soft kisses against Riley's shoulders. "And what are those things you have so many more of?" she wondered.

Riley could only talk of so many, but began with one mere moment that made her heart flutter. "Do you remember that night, just before you asked me if I'd join you on this amazing trip. You told me you had to stay back at the office." Mason quickly recalled the memory that her fiancée was retelling. "All that time you were right outside our apartment with flowers and all my favourite little things. You hadn't been home for days and yet there you were."

Mason intertwined her hands with Riley's. "I'd been away from you far too long. Work, it's important, obviously. But I'd spent days away from home and from you, for that matter. I could no longer bear the thought of being away from you much longer and so...I showed up to our house with everything you love..."

"And yet you were what I loved the most."

"You are the most important part of my life, Riley Marsh. I could not live a day without you. I love you that much and aren't I lucky that I soon get to call you my wife."

*

adie's note
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thank you so much to everyone that continues to read and support wish list to this very day. i could only be so grateful and to see that this story of mine has reached so many people, so many parts of the world, it makes my heart so happy. i only wish you repay you with what i hope is something that makes you guys just as happy. thank you again for all the love you've given to riley and mason.